Car-truck



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N. C. BASSBTT.

GAR TRUGK'. No. 516,791. Patented (No Model.)v l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. N. C. BASSBTT.

CAR TRUCK.

NO.`516,791, Patented Mar. 20, 1894.

wl'rNEssEs- INVENToR:

ATTYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN C. BASSETT, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE THOMSON-HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

C A R T RU C K SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 516,791, dated March 20, 1894.

' Application tiled .Tune 5, 1891. Serial No. 395.275. (No model.)

eight-wheel cars, more especially those used 011 electric or other street railways. n

By means of my present improvements the car 1s enabled to take smaller curvesthan is usually possible with cars of the same drivewheel diameter, and to do so without great frlction or jar or disarrangement of the brake mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent in side elevation and section respectively the two trucks of an eight-wheel car provided with my improvements. Figs. 3 and 4 are plans of the two trucks. Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,'11 and l1a show details. Fig. 12 shows the two trucks on a curve. Fig. 13 represents a truck. with the preferred arrangement of the side bearings for the car body.

The trucks are of that form in which there 1s one driving and one idle axle, and the center plate on which the car body is swiveled, 1s eccentric to the wheel base, being nearer to the driving than to the idle axle, and the driving Wheels being made larger than the idle Wheels. The large drive wheel is considered desirable, and this construction enables such wheels to be used, without interference with the car body frame in rounding curves, as, on account of the eccentric pivot, the large wheels are but slightly displaced, see Fig. 12. The small wheels, on the other hand, are considerably displaced, but are s rilall enough to pass freely under the car s1 s.

The truck frame F embraces the large driving wheels B, being provided with outside boxes f, for the axle thereof, and with a bridging end portion f. The other end of the frame, however, is brought within or between the small wheels B', and is provided with inside boxes for the other axle. This gives a Wide span bearing for the driving axle, and free space for the motor between the drive wheels, while preventing objectionable protrusion of the small wheel end of the frame, in rounding curves. This is especially advantageous with open cars, as the frame is thereby prevented from striking the side steps. ln case the large wheels B, B, are found to strike the sills in a curve,.the lsills maybe cut away and reinforced as indicated in dotted lines at s, Fig. 12. Center plate N is borne bythe bolster D and the cross-beam D completes the frame at the trailing axle end.

This truck is especially intended for electric railway cars, the motor M being journaled on and geared to the driving axle B2, and being wholly outside the wheel-base, its other end being supported by the bridging end portion f of the truck frame.

The car body frame S is swiveled or pivoted on the trucks by center or pivot plate N receiving king bolt K. As shown in Fig. 5 the pivot hole n iiares upwardly and downwardly from the center, so as to allow of some rocking of thecar body without straining the king pin. A cup U is placed below l this pivot hole, closing the same against dust, and catching drippings of lubricant from the king bolt. To ease off the violent rocking and jar on rounding curves, I employ yielding side bearings, which take substantially the whole weight of the car, andare preferably provided with anti-friction rolls to enable easy turning of the car on the truck. These bearings consist of a track or bearingplate V on the car body and a roll-bearing R supported by a spring Win a box Z on the truck frame.

By reference to Figs. l1 and 11a, it will be seen that the lower end of the spring box Z is closed by a bottom plate a which is adapted to be inserted in the box, engaging with catches therein and locked against displacement. By removing this bottom plate the spring may be taken out without lifting the car body. A rubber cushionW supported by plate .e is arranged to receive the impact of a shoulder R on the spindle R2 of the rollsupport. A bridge z supports the springW directly from the bottom plate, so that no strain is normally brought on the rubber cushion, but when the car lurches violently to one side, the shoulder R is brought down against this cushion, which thus constitutes IOO a deadening stop. The lower end of the spindle R2 has a' nu; 7 engaging thereon whereby the parts are held together, and may be rethe truck, between the line of the king b olt z and the idle axle, I prefer, in many cases, to place it between the said pivot line and the driving axle, so as to bring more of the weight on the driving axle, than were the bearings in line with the pivot when the latter is in the position to produce the desired relative movements of the axles. The truck as thus constructed is shown in Fig. 13.

Further improvements relate to the brake mechanism, Aenabling it to work with equal facility on straight tracks and curves. For this purpose the brake cable or chain C is carried over pulleys P, P2 swiveled in the truck frame and leading the cable to the pulley P on the brake lever arm S5. The swiveled 01' swinging pulleys P. P2 are Placed neer the pivotpljnte and .on opposite sides therenf n the two trucks so that in rounding a nnrvn (see Fig, l2) there is no pulling of the cable, o

and the swinginf.r pulleys prevent binding and allow perfect freedom of movement when the brakes are to be set on a curve.

The brake shoe hangers L4 for the trailing axle, are hung from castings L5 0n the ont- Side 0f the freine F Shown in detail in .Figs- 6 and 7 while the hangers L for the driving wheel brake shoes, are suspended from castings L7 (see Figs. 8 and 9) 'on the bolster D.

The brake shoe beams S5 and SA `for the re-` spective axles are connected together by togl gle levers L, L. The lever L2 is attached to brake beam S5 for theV small wheel axle by 4o an adjustable leverage device, being secured by pin P5 at `any desired point on lever L, I

hung from cross-beam D and 4attached to brake beam S5. For facilitating adjustment the lever LB may have a series of holes ,as

shown in Figs. 2 and 10, to receive the pin P5, An arm L8 on brake shoe beam S, car: ries the pulley P over which the brake caf ble passes. To set the brakes the cable is pulled from either end, drawing up pulley P', 5o straightening toggle L, L2, forcing the brake beams apart, and causing'the brake shoes to bear on their respective wheels, the pressure on the idle or trailing wheels being less than on the driving or loaded wheels in any desired proportion.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A railway car truck having a driving 3X1@ all@ in idle axle, a center bearing for the car body locatednear the driving axle and side bearings for the car body located between the line of the center plate and the driving axle.

2. The side bearings interposed between a car body `and its truck and having n Spring support and a cushioned stop.

3. The side bearings for supporting a car body, comprising a bearing surface, a spring support for such surface, and a support for such spring removable and insertible from below.

4l. The side bearing comprising a bearing surface, a spring support therefor, a support for such spring, removable and insertable from below, and a retaining device for retaining said support in position.

5- The side bearing having a bearing Snrface, a spring support therefor, a containing holder for such spring, and a support for said spring removable independently of Isuch holder.

6,- The combination with the tw@ pivnted .trunks 0f nn eight wheel dan', nach pdvided with brake levers, a cable having "drawing connections with `Seid brake levnrh and pnl- `1ers `swiveled in the trunk frames and dans" ing the cable.

`7 The enmbinstion with the nivoind trunk, the brake lever carrying a pulley and `brake cable passing over said pulley, of the two pulleys swiveled to ,the truck for lending the @cable to the brake lever pulley,

8. The combination with a car treni; having driving and idle axles, of a brake mechenm connected with different leverage to ,the two brake beams, es `end for the pnlrrnse set forth.

9. The combinationwith a car truck having driving and driven wheels. of brake mechanism connected with different leverage to the two brake beams, one of such braleeonnections being adjustable.

10. A railway car truck having a driving IOO axle and an idle axle, a center `bearing for 

